44 St. -Johns-wort ( Hypericacecz) 



Hudsonia. H. ericbides, L. 



This species differs from the preceding chiefly in these 

 items : 

 Flowers, on smooth slender stalks. 



Leaves, greenish, one sixth to one third of an inch long, 

 and spreading from the branch. 



Found, along the coast from Maine to Virginia. 



6. Family HYPERICACE^. (St.-John's-wort Fam.) 



Flowers, yellow. Petals, four or five, not united. Sepals, four or five. 

 Stamens, many. Seed-case, one, free, one- to five-celled ; many- 

 seeded. 



Leaves, simple, opposite, entire, dotted when held to the light or under 

 the lens. Stipules, none. 



Fruit, dry, one- to five-celled, splitting lengthwise, a many-seeded 

 capsule. 



A Guide to the Genera. 



Petals, four ; Sepals four, in very unequal pairs, (i) Ascyrum (St. Peter' s-wort.) 

 " five ; " five, alike (2) Hypericum (St. John's-wort. 



(1) Genus Ascyrum, L. (St. Peter' s-wort.) 



From two Greek terms meaning " without " and " roughness." 



Fig. 6. St.-Peter's-wort. A. stans, Michx. 



Flowers, usually three together, showy, at the ends of the 

 branches. Petals, reverse egg-shape ; the two larger 

 sepals round, about one half inch across ; the smaller 

 ones lance-shaped. Styles, three or four. Seed-case, 

 with one cell. June to August : 



Leaves, ten twelfths to one and one fourth inches long, 

 one third as wide, stemless, rather thick, oval or ob- 

 long, somewhat clasping around the branch. 



